The National Highways Authority of India has accomplished an extraordinary engineering feat by securing four Guinness World Records within a single week. This remarkable achievement occurred during the construction of the Bengaluru-Kadapa-Vijayawada economic corridor near Puttaparthi in Sri Sathya Sai district.
Record-Breaking Construction Details
NHAI teams demonstrated exceptional construction capabilities through continuous, high-speed laying of bituminous concrete on the six-lane access-controlled highway designated as NH-544G. The authority utilized advanced machinery, implemented real-time monitoring systems, and maintained stringent quality protocols throughout the operation.
Specific Record Achievements
On January 6, construction teams established two significant records:
- Longest continuous laying of bituminous concrete covering 28.896 lane-kilometers within 24 hours
- Highest quantity of bituminous concrete laid continuously totaling 10,655 metric tonnes in the same timeframe
Between January 5 and January 11, NHAI contractor Rajpath Infracon Private Limited accomplished two additional records:
- Laid 57,500 metric tonnes of bituminous concrete
- Completed 156 lane-kilometers of continuous paving, substantially exceeding the previous world record of 84.4 lane-kilometers
All record-setting activities occurred on packages 2 and 3 of the economic corridor near Puttaparthi.
Political Recognition and Celebration
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu participated in virtual celebrations on Monday, extending congratulations to all stakeholders involved in this historic accomplishment.
Minister Gadkari emphasized that innovation, uncompromising quality standards, and collective effort served as primary drivers behind these achievements. He stated, "With the blessings of Bhagawan Sathya Sai, we achieved these world records. Our focus is to build national highways at high speed without compromising on quality."
The Union Minister specifically praised engineers, officials, and workers for their dedication to the project. He also highlighted sustainable initiatives including bitumen production from rice straw and stressed the importance of reducing logistics costs below nine percent to support India's continued economic growth.
Chief Minister Naidu described the achievement as a source of pride for Andhra Pradesh and evidence of India's engineering excellence. He remarked, "These world records reflect the spirit of New India — ambitious, fast and world-class." The Chief Minister expressed gratitude toward the central government, NHAI, and Rajpath Infracon for their coordinated efforts.
Project Significance and Impact
The 343-kilometer Bengaluru-Kadapa-Vijayawada economic corridor represents a transformative infrastructure project scheduled for completion by February 2027. This corridor will deliver substantial benefits including:
- Reduction of travel distance by approximately 100 kilometers
- Decrease in travel time by about four hours
- Significant enhancement of connectivity across Rayalaseema, coastal, and northern regions of Andhra Pradesh
- Boost to trade, tourism, and economic growth throughout the region
These Guinness World Records mark the first achievements of their kind globally within a six-lane highway project, establishing new benchmarks for highway construction worldwide.
